Expert: Babak Esmailzadeh Hakimi - 1/16/2012

Question
Hi Sir,

In a Basement + Ground + 8 floors residential building (apartmenet) where I have booked a flat, I see that few of the columns (5 to 6 columns out of some 100 columns) in basement looks bent at the top. When I checked this with the builder they told me that there is no issue in the alignment of steel rods of the columns and it is only the concrete mould unevenness. They told that they have only 8 feet mould and for the remaining 2 feet of the pillar at the top they are using another mould (The hieght of the floor is 10 feet) which is causing the pillar to look uneven at the top. Please inform is it an issue for the structure of the building if the concrete covering the steel rods is not exactly in rectangular box shape and looks bit bent for some of the pillars but the steel rods have proper alignment.
If in case the steel rods are little bent then what is the allowed bent. The hieght of the floor is 10 feet.
Also, I thought for high rise apart ment (more than 5 floors) the thinkness of the columns would be quite thick. But it is not so. It is around 12 inch x 6 inch thick (I have not measured it exactly). The builder told that based on the load of the building they have selected appropriate no. of pillars and appropriately sized steel rods for the pillars and I need not worry about the structural stength of the building. If the steel rods used are correct but the pillar size is not so big is it an issue.
Also, I thought for high rise apart ment (more than 5 floors) the footing would be deeper but I think the footing is 4 feet deep. Is it fine? When I asked the builder I was told that based on the soil condition they decide the footing and it is fine.

I preferred to keep this query private and hence have checked the "Keep this question private".

Since the builder is new I am very anxious of the quality of the building and I would greatly appreciate if you could answer my queries. Thanks.

Regards,
Vishwanath

Answer
Dear Vish

As you might guess , this is not a question I can give you prompt and explicit answer. Please take some high quality photo  and send me. No problem with the depth of foundation but the size of columns and also the quality, I am anxious, like yourself. Usually no problem occurs during normal loading of building. A big deal of safety factors will help you to be in safe side but real  problem arises when an earthquake hits your building.

I suggest you to follow your problem through legal authorities.

Please dont hesitate to ask me further.

Regards
Babak Esmailzadeh Hakimi